Income For Dummies

I am subscribed to very few lists now, but the ones I do read often send great information. This is one of those most excellent ideas. I wish I could take credit for writing, but I guess I will have to settle for only taking credit for sharing this:

I don't know where these Dummies folks get all their knowledge. But they seem to know everything.

They probably have a program that invites persons in respective fields to write about the respective topic and plaster the "Dummies" brand on it while the For Dummies handles the marketing aspect of the book/manual.

JmichealZ, where did you find this article, was it sent to you via email?
Who's email list did you join to received this article?

I use to be subscribed to literally 10s and 10s of individuals who cranked out crap advice, had to throw that longstanding inbox into the trash. Im trying to do what you do and just stick with a select few people to follow up on.

JmichaelZ, where did you find this article, was it sent to you via email?
Who's email list did you join to received this article?

I use to be subscribed to literally 10s and 10s of individuals who cranked out crap advice, had to throw that longstanding inbox into the trash. Im trying to do what you do and just stick with a select few people to follow up on.

The email came from a guy named Justin Mazza. he is in the personal development market and the article is form Steve Pavlina's blog. it is older, but very inspiring.

I used to be on dozens of email lists. Lots of good people, lots of people trying their best, and some absolutely nothing but a series of affiliate links to the latest and the greatest programs and products.

I found after a while that I couldn't even think straight. That the minute I tried to concentrate on what I wanted to do, another email would popup in my inbox that wanted my attention. I was spending all my time on reading what other people were writing instead of building my own business.

Once I started unsubscribing, I reclaimed more of my time for myself and realized that I never really missed out on anything. Justin Mazza is one of the few people whose email I read, and truthfully, not all of his either. But his viewpoint and mine are close enough that I am interested in what he has to say, even if I don't agree with everything he writes.

It was hard at first to unsubscribe, but once I started doing that, my own work improved tremendously.

I found after a while that I couldn't even think straight. That the minute I tried to concentrate on what I wanted to do, another email would popup in my inbox that wanted my attention. I was spending all my time on reading what other people were writing instead of building my own business.

It was hard at first to unsubscribe, but once I started doing that, my own work improved tremendously.

Never heard of Justin Mazza before.
I never quite got to reading the majority of the emails I got in my inbox. but I would always stress about not reading them.
So, quite literally, I was "stressing over about nothing."
Does he have a biography website or blog?

I NEVER optin for anyone who doesnt have a blog they invest themselves in.

His site is at MazzaStick dot com. I signed up for his emails after he had left a comment on my blog. His site is a little off the beaten track, and his emails are a mix of personal development, spirituality and marketing. Right up my alley.

Once I started unsubscribing, I reclaimed more of my time for myself and realized that I never really missed out on anything. Justin Mazza is one of the few people whose email I read, and truthfully, not all of his either. But his viewpoint and mine are close enough that I am interested in what he has to say, even if I don't agree with everything he writes.

It was hard at first to unsubscribe, but once I started doing that, my own work improved tremendously.

Amen to that!

It took me a while to come to the conclusion that all of those emails were nothing but "shiny things" to distract me from what I needed to do. I was feeling that if I didn't read it that I might miss out on something BIG . Well that never was the case because I also realized that most of those "shiny things" weren't for me anyway.

It used to crack me up that whomever was promoting it had rave reviews about the latest promotion but only purchased it the day before. I literally unsubscribed from most everyone and have only kept those that truly provide value....and that amounted to very few people.

It took me a while to come to the conclusion that all of those emails were nothing but "shiny things" to distract me from what I needed to do. I was feeling that if I didn't read it that I might miss out on something BIG . Well that never was the case because I also realized that most of those "shiny things" weren't for me anyway.

It used to crack me up that whomever was promoting it had rave reviews about the latest promotion but only purchased it the day before. I literally unsubscribed from most everyone and have only kept those that truly provide value....and that amounted to very few people.

Yup, I bought way more than my share of those. I still have a hard drive full of them, its hard to think about parting with them when I spent money on them. ;-)

I do feel better not feeling the need to read so many emails every day, especially when there is a big launch coming out, and I have way more time for my own sites and my own projects - time I reclaimed from reading promo emails.

Don't get me wrong, I have some great tools i found out about from email promotions, but now I spend more of my time using them instead of reading about them and buying them.

No you are right he has a lot of really great articles. Some that help a lot of people with making money online.

I just have delved in to some pretty deep articles that Steve Posts , including things in Life that were quite interesting and had nothing to do with Jobs or making money.

The fellow really has a ,shall we say , 'unconventional' way of viewing the World and those around him.
Some interesting reads.

Its funny sometimes; we get the idea that all there is to the world is internet marketing, granted this is a marketing forum, and a good one, but we tend to believe that others are only interested in that too.

I certainly have other interests outside the WF, and probably some ideas that are just plain different, too. :-)

Translation: "I hope you feel so hyped up by this page that you click through to my get rich quick ebook and buy it! You'll never make any money online, but thanks for the cash sucker!"

I don't know Steve Pavlina, the author of this article from 2006, personally and I am not sure he sells get rich quick ebooks, I see there is a link to site-build-it at the bottom of this article, but i already know how to build sites, so that was not of interest to me.

I don't know Steve Pavlina, the author of this article from 2006, personally and I am not sure he sells get rich quick ebooks, I see there is a link to site-build-it at the bottom of this article, but i already know how to build sites, so that was not of interest to me.

Read through his archives before labeling him as a "get rich niche im'er". I've been a follower of his blog for about four years now. He is a a large part of the reason that I am now living my life the way I currently am (happily self-employed as a musician, writer, IMer, etc...)!

Talk about dominating a niche...Steve Pavlina dominated the "personal development" niche. At one point he was making close to 100k per month just from Adsense ads, but he took them all off because the ads weren't aligning with his blog philosophies (eg. Adsense ads displaying meat advertisements next to a blog post about a vegan diet). He currently has over a million visitors per month to his site, so he doesn't really need Adsense.

His philosophies are very much different then a lot of what you read around here. I highly suggest reading through his archives in order to get another perspective on "Internet Marketing".

Read through his archives before labeling him as a "get rich niche im'er". I've been a follower of his blog for about four years now. He is a a large part of the reason that I am now living my life the way I currently am (happily self-employed as a musician, writer, IMer, etc...)!

Talk about dominating a niche...Steve Pavlina dominated the "personal development" niche. At one point he was making close to 100k per month just from Adsense ads, but he took them all off because the ads weren't aligning with his blog philosophies (eg. Adsense ads displaying meat advertisements next to a blog post about a vegan diet). He currently has over a million visitors per month to his site, so he doesn't really need Adsense.

His philosophies are very much different then a lot of what you read around here. I highly suggest reading through his archives in order to get another perspective on "Internet Marketing".

You realize that I have NOT labelled him as a get rich quick guy, right? I was responding to another post by someone who I believe thought that way.

My mistake. I misunderstood you. I'd just hate for anyone to misunderstand his message, considering his blog has been such a major inspiration in my life .

I didn't realize that you wrote the OP either. I know that Steve Pavlina has a lot of "haters" online...sorry bout that!

No worries. :-) I got the article from an email from Justin Mazza and I just thought it was pretty cool. I work mostly in personal development and I think it is very cool that people can do good and make money at the same time.

The article is on point about the conditioning of individuals to only think a certain way on how to earn an income. Once they are conditioned to think that way, they become a small part of the machine in which the big players make all the money from their labor.That is why, to be successful, you need to start thinking outside the box.

There is no one correct way to make it in this world. And there is no vast conspiracy to get people to fall in line and work for The Man. Countless people have been through this "conditioning" yet start their own business.

As with anything, there are pros and cons to working for yourself. How many times have you seen an article include both the upside and the downside? You don't see that because explaining the downside doesn't help sell ebooks.

There is no one correct way to make it in this world. And there is no vast conspiracy to get people to fall in line and work for The Man. Countless people have been through this "conditioning" yet start their own business.

As with anything, there are pros and cons to working for yourself. How many times have you seen an article include both the upside and the downside? You don't see that because explaining the downside doesn't help sell ebooks.

There are no pros to selling the one thing you can't buy back - your time.

Even if someone needs the conditioning, he/she should understand the right way forward.

There is no one correct way to make it in this world. And there is no vast conspiracy to get people to fall in line and work for The Man. Countless people have been through this "conditioning" yet start their own business.

As with anything, there are pros and cons to working for yourself. How many times have you seen an article include both the upside and the downside? You don't see that because explaining the downside doesn't help sell ebooks.

Of course there are pros and cons, the article is something to discuss, not the gospel. There may not be a group of people who are in charge of deciding that everyone should go to work and get a good job, but there are plenty of people willing to tell you that is the only way to live in our world.

Lots of authority figures, parents, teachers, officials, all willing to tell people there is one best way to live and that is by working for someone else. Lots of people have jobs and like them and don't want to live any other way. that is their choice. Lots of people want to work in their own business and that is their choice. I've done both, and sometimes both at the same time.

And let's face it, this is the Warrior Forum, people get all breathless and sweaty about WSO's that sell Buy buttons. Making a choice in your life about how you are going to make money deserves at least a modicum of consideration.

Lots of authority figures, parents, teachers, officials, all willing to tell people there is one best way to live and that is by working for someone else.

... and most of the time they are right. The vast majority of the population will make more money working for someone else than they will attempting to run their own business.

And let's not forget that the focus of this thread is a guy who makes his money by merely preaching life concepts. This isn't the owner of a roofing company telling roofing employees to start their own company. It isn't an accounting firm owner telling accountants to launch their own firm. It's just some guy typing on his computer telling the world how awesome it is to not have a job..... and how you can use supernatural forces to manifest success just by thinking about it.

... and most of the time they are right. The vast majority of the population will make more money working for someone else than they will attempting to run their own business.

And let's not forget that the focus of this thread is a guy who makes his money by merely preaching life concepts. This isn't the owner of a roofing company telling roofing employees to start their own company. It isn't an accounting firm owner telling accountants to launch their own firm. It's just some guy typing on his computer telling the world how awesome it is to not have a job..... and how you can use supernatural forces to manifest success just by thinking about it.

I just see a real credibility problem here.

With regards to "Making Money Online" (which is why we are all here right?), I'd much rather take advice from a guy who has had a traffic following of over a million people per month for over 10 years now; rather then some kid in the WSO section that figured out a quick scheme to make a quick $5,000, then tries to sell me his "method" which is backed by screenshots showing the $5,000 proof.

It's funny the "10 reasons you should never get a job" article actually was intended to be a joke. He was trying to get a rise out of people, but it turned out to be his most popular article that he ever wrote!

But ya...there's way more to life then money. I quit my secure mechanical engineering job of 7 years in the pursuit of becoming a self-employed musician...best decision I ever made!

... and most of the time they are right. The vast majority of the population will make more money working for someone else than they will attempting to run their own business.

And let's not forget that the focus of this thread is a guy who makes his money by merely preaching life concepts. This isn't the owner of a roofing company telling roofing employees to start their own company. It isn't an accounting firm owner telling accountants to launch their own firm. It's just some guy typing on his computer telling the world how awesome it is to not have a job..... and how you can use supernatural forces to manifest success just by thinking about it.

I just see a real credibility problem here.

The article is written from a didactic point of view for sure, and you are absolutely correct IMO, that most people will make more money at a job rather than having their own business.

If you are accountant, you might want to work for a big firm, that was the dream of my brother in law, maybe a roofer, what you might want is a steady paycheck, what is the problem with a guy typing on his keyboard and making, money doing it.

he doesn't seem to be hurting people, he's not selling IM products full of old outdated methods of getting links or telling people they need to vacuum money out of the pockets of local business owner's by charging them 500 dollars a page for content for their blogs. He is encouraging people to take charge of their own lives by making their own choices.

That exhortation is going to fall on mostly deaf ears, but for people with that need to determine their own lives, that is a different story.

Here's an article on the same topic. Consider the sources. Compare the two pieces of advice.

Instead of bashing the 9-5 like all of these so-called self help gurus do, he proposes the question of whether it's time to earn or learn:

---
For most people it’s learn. I only emphasize the question before I find it much more helpful to join a company with realistic expectations of what you want to get out of it. My advice is often, “make sure that what you get out of working at this company is one or several of the following: a great network of talented executives and VCs, more responsibility than your last job, specific industry or technical skills that will help you in what you do next, a chance to partner with companies that will increase your industry relationships, etc.” Learn now to earn later.

I'm not sure all the self help gurus bash 9-5, I would be surprised to find that each and every one of them does that. The article seems to be centered on startups, which are a lot like working for yourself. At least from my understanding.

You are also talking about positions which are in all likelihood not within reach of most people. Having the number 2 or 3 position at a company is a job for one person at a time. Anyone can start their own business right now, they don't have to graduate with an MBA from Stanford.

Right now, on the internet and actually in a number of offline areas too, starting your own business is within reach of many people.

I think there are many people who really want jobs, and that is their choice. The original article has definitely got some marketing language in it, but truthfully, many people are not going to do what it takes to have a business of their own.

In all honesty, I don't read many emails at all, so you might be right that self help gurus consistently preach about the evil of a 925, but that also kind of sounds like MLM too.

Things will be different in 3 months, no matter who says or doesn't say. Whether it will be different enough to tell is another thing. The minute you make a conscious choice to do something, whether it is start a business, go to work at your job or anything else, your life changes. And if you want a change, it is up to you (or anyone, actually) to make that change.

Thanks for sharing this. Lots of very good points on what a job is. I can relate to a number of them. Now I've got a mortgage and other responsibilities as long as a job I do find I'm more conscious of what I say at work.
It's one of the reasons I'm online working on creating another source of income so I can leave my job behind.

Thanks for sharing this. Lots of very good points on what a job is. I can relate to a number of them. Now I've got a mortgage and other responsibilities as long as a job I do find I'm more conscious of what I say at work.
It's one of the reasons I'm online working on creating another source of income so I can leave my job behind.

You are very welcome. Sometimes its like we see only one small and narrow view of the online world here in the WF. Its good to see people in other parts of the internet making their way very successfully.

That's awesome that you are creating your own path, I wish you the best of luck and much success.

I would like to add the fact that even if you don't have a job and you are 'your own boss' but you are working hard far from home, this is practically the same thing as depending on a salary. [/FONT]

Yes, but you gotta admit, it still is a step or a half above working for someone else, eveni f you are working like a dAAAwg, at least you're doing it for you.
You have the power to change your circumstance more freely then if you were earning a wage.
Thats the important "asset" of any struggling self-employer.

Yes, but you gotta admit, it still is a step or a half above working for someone else, eveni f you are working like a dAAAwg, at least you're doing it for you.
You have the power to change your circumstance more freely then if you were earning a wage.
Thats the important "asset" of any struggling self-employer.

It's that gotta wanna idea that keeps a many a self-employed person going. It's hard work and can be very satisfying. And profitable.

In that article he writes "At the time of this writing, it generates about $9000 a month in income for me (update: $40,000 a month as of 10/31/06), and it isn't my only income stream either."

And then at the bottom of the page he has a "donate" button to show your support.

At the time of that blog post, he was generating income through Google Adsense ads. He took them off in 2010.

If you read through his passive income series, you will see all of the different ways that he approaches making money online.

One of his income streams is through donations, which he openly admits...

Is it wrong to put a donation button on the bottom of a website which contains THOUSANDS of free articles? I don't think so.

Considering he has a traffic base of over a million people per month visiting his website, many of which are avid followers (like myself); then simply putting a "donate" button (which takes literally 15 seconds to do) at the bottom of each blog post isn't a terrible idea if you ask me .

At the time of that blog post, he was generating income through Google Adsense ads. He took them off in 2010.

If you read through his passive income series, you will see all of the different ways that he approaches making money online.

One of his income streams is through donations, which he openly admits...

Is it wrong to put a donation button on the bottom of a website which contains THOUSANDS of free articles? I don't think so.

Considering he has a traffic base of over a million people per month visiting his website, many of which are avid followers (like myself); then simply putting a "donate" button (which takes literally 15 seconds to do) at the bottom of each blog post isn't a terrible idea if you ask me .

Oh, so should we all consider giving a donation to Amazon because they provide us with an extensive range of goods?:confused:

It used to be that almost everyone that had a blog had a tip jar or a donation button. that was the origin of the buy-them-a-beer button here on the WF. You sound personally offended that he would choose to do this, but I don't know why.

I would like to add the fact that even if you don't have a job and you are 'your own boss' but you are working hard far from home, this is practically the same thing as depending on a salary.

Nothing is like working from home, and without having to deal with storage, carrying merchandise, organizing your store/office, and all the trouble you have with an offline business.

Most people I know who are self-employed work very hard. Many of them like it that they can be in charge of their own lives; some don't and wish they could get a regular job instead, but for the most part, the ones I have met really enjoy what they do.

I've known some people who have great businesses working from home, or at least not going to work at a jobsite everyday (sometimes they work in coffee shops). I've built nice sites and worked with clients in public libraries, but mostly I prefer my own office.

I've known a couple of people who have their own businesses, but have offices and staff and they like that too, it's just that their particular businesses won't work form a home office.

Now this is hitting the proverbial nail on the noggin'-even way back before I discovered marketing I knew that hourly paid employment was a big fat Con-you only have to look at how state schools are operated to see quite clearly what the game is...X quantities of Plumbers, Lawyers, Doctors, Office workers...all manufactured and tied with a bow. any training for individual thought, self directed action is frowned upon and those individuals with a spark of creative energy are singled out and marginalized-if you want that kind of a life, well good for you, but there are so many options if you just look at life as an opportunity, open ended. Great article.

Making money is just like anything else. You have a value to share. If value is great then no problem making money. Online or offline they are tools to help you get there. Finally it all depends on what value you are offering to people. There are no secrets if all the fluff is taken out. Unfortunately our mind does not seem to accept this concept at first. Anyone who has value and meets a demand or solves a problem will be rich. Is this good for dummies? Appreciate a thought provoking creative post like these.!

Making money is just like anything else. You have a value to share. If value is great then no problem making money. Online or offline they are tools to help you get there. Finally it all depends on what value you are offering to people. There are no secrets if all the fluff is taken out. Unfortunately our mind does not seem to accept this concept at first. Anyone who has value and meets a demand or solves a problem will be rich. Is this good for dummies? Appreciate a thought provoking creative post like these.!

You are right for sure. Value is fundamental, without being able to offer that, there is not much point in being in business.

it seems like when you have your own business, it is easier to decide what value you are going to offer people, but truthfully, there are organizations where lots of people have jobs that offer value to their customers. I think which a person prefers is up to them.